KOTA KINABALU: The State Cabinet has approved a RM200 increase in monthly allowance for District Chiefs, Native Chiefs and Deputy Native Chiefs effective this month.
Before July 1, District Chiefs who carry the prefix OKK (Orang Kaya-Kaya), were paid RM2,500 monthly, Natie Chiefs RM1,500 and their deputies RM700.
Datuk Hj Hajiji Hj Noor whose Local Government and Housing Ministry is in charge of the Sabah Native Affairs Council, said the increase is in appreciation of the hard work and increased responsibilities of the community leaders.
He disclosed this during a thanksgiving gathering organised by the Wanita Umno to thank party workers who helped to ensure a Barisan Nasional victory in the Sulaman state constituency in the May general election.
The minister who is into his sixth term as Sulaman assemblyman, said the best has yet to come for development in the constituency in particular and the Tuaran district in general.
He was referring to several major projects to be implemented over the next few years which would benefit or involve the district which includes the Tamparuli sub-district and Kiulu state constituency.
Among the mammoth projects which together would total hundreds of millions of ringgit would be two new trunk roads linking Tuaran and Kudat via a coastal highway and the Telipok-Kiulu-Ranau by-pass.
Others include the Tuaran District Sports Complex which would serve as a satellite sports facility for Kota Kinabalu and 1,000 houses for civil servants, both at Laya-Laya which would be turned into a new township.
“The best is yet to come for Tuaran. This is BN’s way of saying thank you to the voters and also in line with BN’s election slogan of Janji Ditepati (A Promise Fulfilled).
Meanwhile, Hajiji who is also Sabah BN and Umno treasurer, also said that the Umno Tuaran divisional meeting chaired by him yesterday had unanimously approved a motion urging that the posts of president and deputy president to be uncontested in the coming party polls.
The two posts are presently held by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin respectively.